Edward G. Boyle BSc. PG Dip.

Email

Web

  • 20 years experience of working in demanding and highly technical IT environments, mostly in higher education institutions but also in commercial and government establishments
  • Large range of IT skills, primarily: website design & development (XHTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript/jQuery, Apache, Drupal API, WordPress API, Dreamweaver, Photoshop,Illustrator);software engineering (PHP, Perl, ColdFusion,Java EE); RDBMS administration and development (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle PL/SQL); systems administration (Unix, Linux, Windows)
  • Strong analytical, numerate, problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
  • Extensive experience of working on many and varied technical IT projects involving large teams but also small individual projects, and delivering outputs within a framework of managed timescales and deliverables
  • Strong belief in participation in the complete software development lifecycle involving rapid application development methodologies to build web-based products that fulfil project objectives, enable wider institutional goals (e.g. teaching, learning & research), create dynamic and interactive knowledge communities and provide useful user-focused services
  • Self-motivated and flexible, able to learn new IT skills quickly and able to manage workload and deliver outputs without supervision
  • Specialisation in web-based mapping and GIS tools (ArcGIS, Google Maps API, OpenLayers API, PostGIS)

Work Experience

Jan 15 – Jul 15; Web Developer(grade 6), University of Edinburgh Business School (

My main responsibility was the technical support and maintenanceof a bespoke PHP framework which was used to support many features offered on the Business School website including teaching interfaces and administrative web forms. This involved using NetBeans IDE & Subversion VCS for development and PostgreSQL & MongoDB databases.

A major task for me during my time at the School was the delivery and support of a web-based dissertation support system for students within the School, using these technologies; this critical feature was delivered successfully within tight time constraints.

I also worked closely with the Squiz Matrix CMS which was used as the main platform for the School website, and the WordPress CMS which was used for many components of the website.

Mar 13 – Dec 14; Web Developer/Technology Support Officer (grade 6), College of Humanities & Social Sciences web team, University of Edinburgh (

  • Maintenance and development of the Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) website involving the Drupal 7 API (features & custom modules), Cosign/LDAP authentication (see Git VCS (Bitbucket), Compass/Sass, visible at
  • Development of a research website for the ECA with an image archive and geographic/keyword based search mechanisms (using Drupal 7 with the Bootstrap 3 RWD module/theme and OpenLayers mapping module), see
  • Development and evaluation of COTS/bespoke conference management and submissions review systems for the University (and development of an academic conference website using the OpenConf PHP application for submissions, see
  • Development of an interface for the Child Protection Research Centre website for displaying/filtering dynamic research output data from the University's PURE system (using the WordPress API, plugins templates, jQuery UI and DataTables), see
  • Development of a web-based map interface for the College Office visualising geographical student data, using the Google Charts API, see
  • Management, development and technical support of the School of Divinity website ( and associated social media and multimedia content (Facebook, Twitter, WordPress blogs, streaming video).
  • New School of Divinity news/events facility using Google Calendar.
  • New School of Divinity customised staff profile system (Polopoly CMS web proxy, MySQL/PHP; visible at:
  • Updating of School of Divinity website information architecture & content (including videos, images and research content for REF 2014).
  • Additionally to this work, I also developed the NHS NPRANG website (on a freelance basis), using Drupal 7 and the Bootstrap 3 RWD theme (

Oct 12 – Feb 13; Software Developer (grade 7), SCHOLAR project,Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (

Technical maintenance and support of the SCHOLAR assessment system using InterBase/Firebird RDBMSDelphi Pascal. Projects completed: migration of desktop tools to Windows 7 and migration of server system from Windows 2000 to Windows 2003 server.

Jan 11 – Sep 12; Freelance work,University of Edinburgh & Heriot-Watt University

  • Development of two engineering research consortium websites ( and in collaboration with academics, using Drupal 6, Dreamweaver, Photoshop & Illustrator
  • Development of two prototype research web tools for academics, involving an augmented reality application for GPS-enabled smartphone/tablet platforms (using PHP/MySQL and the third-party Layar app), and a website using the JavaScript amMap mapping and UVic Image Markup tools.
  • ColdFusion web forms and FileMaker Pro database development and bug-fixing.
  • Technical advice to Heriot-Watt University for the School of Engineering & Physical Sciences website.

Apr 11 – Oct 11; Web Developer (grade 6),School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh

Development of a staff profile system for the School using MySQL, PHP, CSS, JavaScript CKEditor, see

Aug 07 – Aug 10; Computing Officer (grade 7), School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh (

Development of a new School websiteusing Drupal 6. Technical support for the administrative databases in use within the School, involving ColdFusion and Microsoft SQL Server. Development of the ERPem research consortium website ( using Drupal 6, Dreamweaver, Photoshop Illustrator.

May 02 – Aug 07; Software Engineer (grade 7), Edina National Data Centre, University of Edinburgh(

Software engineering for many and various GIS and web mapping projects and services including Go-Geo ( and AGI Gigateway. Technologies used were UMN MapServer, GDAL/OGR, Google Maps & OpenLayers API,Perl, PHP, XML, Z39.50 & OAI-PMH, Apache, Tomcat JSP/Servlets, ASP, Web Services (SOAP), MySQL and PostgreSQL.

Feb 02 - Apr 02; Web Developer, Finance Department, University of Edinburgh

Jan 00 - Jan 02; Web Developer, SeSDL project, University of Edinburgh

Aug 99 - Jan 00; Programmer, School of Computing, Napier University, Edinburgh

Apr 99 - Jun 99; IT Support, Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland, Edinburgh

Sep 96 - Apr 99; Network Services Programmer, Computing Services, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh

Mar 95 - Jul 96; C Programmer, Solcom Systems, Livingston

Aug 94 - Sep 94; Researcher, Knowledge Tree Systems, Napier University, Edinburgh

Jan 92 - Sep 92;Administrative Assistant, Benefits Agency, Edinburgh

Education and Qualifications

Sep 14 – Aug 17UNIGIS UK (Universities of Salford and Manchester Metropolitan); MSc. Geographical Information technologies (distance-learning 3-year course); modules completed: Foundations of GIS, Spatial Data Infrastructures, Databases; practical assessments: ArcGIS, PostgreSQL

Sep 10 – Dec 10University of Edinburgh; MSc. Geographical Information Science (one full-time semester); modules completed: Spatial Analysis, Spatial Modelling, Distributed GIS, Principles of GIS, Water Resource Management, Research Practice & Project Planning; practical assessments: ArcGIS, Perl, Oracle, SVG

Sep 93 - May 94Napier University, Edinburgh; Postgraduate Diploma in Information Technology

Oct 88 - Jun 93University of Edinburgh; BSc. Astrophysics

Sep 81 - Jun 88Queen Victoria School, Dunblane, UK; Ten SCE O grades and five SCE H grades

Interests

Travel, photography, mountaineering and the mountain environment. I have been a member of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland since 2008 and the John Muir Trust since 2012. I have climbed and trekked extensively in the mountains of Scotland, North America and Europe. In 2009 I completed the Edinburgh Marathon and In 2011 I climbed my 200th Munro summit. I have my own personal website and blog at

References

Mr Paul Caban, IT Services Manager

The University of Edinburgh Business School, 29 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9JS

Telephone: +44(0)131 650 3832; email:

Mr Euan Cameron, Web Team Manager

College of Humanities and Social Science Web Team, University of Edinburgh

56 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JU

Telephone: +44 (0)131 651 3160; email:

Ms Karen Howie, School IT Manager

School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh

William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG

Telephone: +44 (0)131 650 9110; email: